


Summer's Haze

by Ruunkur



Series: Seasons of What Ifs [4]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Felix Sylvain is such a beautiful ship, I forgot to update tags this weekend, In which Sylvain didn't die, Ingrid is there briefly, M/M, no beta we die like Glenn, trans felix
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-28
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:14:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22945363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruunkur/pseuds/Ruunkur
Summary: Summer brings around an unexpected visitor.
Relationships: Felix Hugo Fraldarius/Sylvain Jose Gautier
Series: Seasons of What Ifs [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1640443
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	Summer's Haze

**Author's Note:**

> I am uploading this from my phone, cause the internet is fucked. So, i need to add in more tags. Enjoy

“Daddy.”

Felix looked up from his book, adjusting his reading glasses as Sylvie poked her head through the door.

“What is it?” he asked, watching the seven year old fidget, her hair pull out of the ponytails she had begged him for earlier that morning.

“There’s a one legged man outside.”

Felix frowned, setting his book aside and getting up from the couch. “A one legged man?” he asked, scratching the side of his head.

Sylvie nodded, glancing over her shoulder. “He’s sort of… just staring at the yard. He looked startled when I waved at him.”

“Why did you wave at him?” Felix asked, already heading towards the door.

Sylvie shrugged, watching her father walk towards the door. “He looked sad.”

Felix glanced at her, resting a hand on her hair. He pulled his hand away, stepping into the evening sunlight.

The pair had moved into Felix’s childhood home after the death of his father two years prior. Now, as he stepped outside, he could see the man that Sylvie had mentioned, a crutch under one arm as he stared at the house.

“Can I… help you?” Felix asked, watching the man shift. His hair was shaved close to the scalp, his gaze haunted.

The man looked like he had just recently recovered from an illness.

“I… was this the home of Rodrigue Fraldarius?” he asked, a smile coming to his lips. “Even if it’s not, you’re the prettiest thing I’ve seen today.”

“This you must not have a pretty-” Felix cut himself off as he heard the door open, watching the man move. “Did you say Fraldarius?”

The man nodded. “I thought he moved. Sorry for… bothering…”

“Syl...vain?” Felix dragged out the word, taking a step closer as he looked the man over.

The man froze, his eyes darting from Felix to the house. When Felix took another step towards him, he took a step back.

“Yeah?” he asked, voice small as he maneuvered his crutch and leg, repositioning himself.

“Dad! Auntie Ingrid wants to talk to you!”

Felix turned to look at the door, Sylvain taking another step to the side. Felix kept his gaze on him, watching as he shuffled to the side, haze dropping to the fence.

“Sylvain, you’re… alive.” Felix reached out, watching as the man flinched away before he looked up, meeting Felix’s gaze. “You’re…”

“Felix.”

Felix lunged forward, watching Sylvain as he swayed, his crutch dropping out from under him. He grunted as the man nearly took him down as well, steadying both of them. Dread flooded Felix as he felt the hands come up, curling into the back of his shirt, his grip tight.

“Dad?”

The voice forced Felix to focus on the present, realizing that Sylvain was clutching to him over the fence. Sylvain’s hands moved, gripping at him like a man gripping a raft in a storm.

“Felix, you’re… the most beautiful thing I’ve seen all week,” Sylvain managed, pressing his face into the crook of Felix’s neck.

“Just this week?” Felix asked. “Sylvain, what… happened to you?”

Sylvain let out a weak laugh, closing his eyes. “I’m… sorry for intruding on you and your family.”

Felix felt him begin to pull away and he clung tighter, his eyes misting over. “No, no. Please, just. Will you stay…?”

“Dad, Auntie Ingrid wants to talk to you about the strange one legged man!”

“Sylvie, go back inside!” Felix snapped, turning to look at her. “And… tell Ingrid I will call her later.”

Sylvain shifted and readjusted himself as he pulled away, using the fence to balance with as he picked up his crutch. “She’s… adorable.”

Felix shifted, moving to open the gate and step out to join Sylvain. “Thank you.”

He leaned against the gate, looking at Sylvain from the corner of his eye. He reached out, touching the man’s hand, dismayed when he flinched away. Sylvain shifted, putting his hand back where it was, brushing against Felix’s.

Felix looked at him, reaching up his free hand. His movements were slow, fingers resting against Sylvain’s cheek. The skin was rough, the beginnings of a beard starting to show. He traced Sylvain’s jawline, his eyes tracking the movement.

“I was told… I was told you died.”

Sylvain tried to smile, lifting his free hand up to cup Felix’s hand, keeping it pressed against his cheek. “There were… days where I thought I had died. After…”

He swallowed, Felix pulling his hand away as Sylvain shook his head.

“You don’t have to tell me anything,” Felix whispered.

Sylvain nodded, glancing down the driveway at the car that was sitting there.

“Are you here to stay?” Felix asked.

He hesitated, glancing from Felix to the house. “But… you… your family?”

Felix hesitated, shaking his head. “It’s just me and Sylvie that lives here. There’s… a spare room I can set up for you.”

Sylvain nodded, closing his eyes. “I suppose, since they thought I was dead… that you got…?”

Felix nodded, staring at Sylvain. “Please…”

He hesitated, unsure of what he was asking Sylvain with that word.

“I have a few more things to do, but I can come back.”

“When?”

Sylvain glanced towards the car and Felix could just make out the man that was sitting behind the wheel, a book open in one hand.

"A week, maybe two. Enough time to… finish up some things-"

"Will you come back?" Felix asked, taking a step closer to him. He wanted to touch Sylvain again, reassure himself that he was here.

Sylvain nodded, smiling at him. "I'll be back."

Felix watched him hobble off, navigating the driveway back to the car.

"Dad?'

Felix turned back to Sylvie, shaking himself. "Yes?"

"You need to call auntie Ingrid back. She wants to know about the one legged man."

Felix nodded, reaching out to touch her hair. He picked her up after a moment, shifting her to one arm. "I'll call her back later. What do you want for dinner?"

Sylvie thought for a moment, Felix shouldering his way into the house. He set her down as he went into the kitchen.

"Pasta."

He nodded, pulling out several items to begin cooking.

*~*~*~*~*

"A one legged man showed up at the house… and it was Sylvain."

Felix let out a groan, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It would… make sense. If they couldn't… he wasn't found in one piece."

"What happens now?" Ingrid asked.

Felix let out a hum, staring at the closed bedroom door. "He saw Sylvie. When she was on the phone with you.'

"What did he say?"

"He apologized for interrupting my evening and said he was looking for Rodrigue. When I said he had passed…"

"He went to leave," Ingrid supplied.

Felix nodded, grimacing. "And, when he asked after my father… I realized who it was. Then, we spoke, he said he'd come back and… nothing. That was two weeks ago. I’m not even sure why I didn’t offer him my phone number or anything."

Ingrid let out a hum. “And did you contact the men that you spoke with? Or anyone in the military?”

“No.”

Ingrid let out a sigh. “So, if he does show back up, what are you going to tell him?”

“Tell him?”

“Yes, about Sylvie. You have to tell him, Felix.”

“That would require the man to be here, Ingrid.” Felix glanced out the window, watching the red haired girl run through the grass, kicking a ball along her path. “However, if he never shows back up, I would be just as fine.”

“You can’t mean that.”

Felix took in a breath, holding for several long seconds before he let it out with a sigh. “No, you’re right. It would mean that the commanders were wrong when they opted to say he died. Which means I have some stranger’s ashes sitting on my dresser.”

“Would you prefer it that he were dead?”

“No.”

He watched Sylvie pause, looking up from the ball and he followed her gaze, watching the car park at the end of the driveway.

“Felix?”

“It looks like there’s more unexpected visitors. I will call you back later, Ingrid.” He ended the call, tossing his phone onto the couch and standing. He headed to the front door, eyes tracking the man walking down the driveway, his hand on the fence post to act as a balance.

The man looked up when Felix exited the house, his eyes lighting up in delight. With a wave, he made his way to the gate, Felix moving to meet him.

“Sylvain.”

“And here I thought this was all a dream.” Sylvain smiled at Felix as he stopped outside the gate. Felix moving to unlatch it. Sylvain maneuvered his way around, turning to look at Rodrigue’s old house. “So, your father’s dead?”

Felix let out a grunt. “Cancer, two years ago. It was unexpected, too far advanced, and he didn’t live long. He… originally left the house to Glenn, but Glenn gave it to me instead. Suggested that getting out of the city would be good for me. Sylvain...”

Sylvain glanced at him, shifting his weight before looking back at the house. “I’ve been back for… a year now. I’ve been in rehabilitation since I’ve been back.”

“What happened?”

Felix watched Sylvain’s gaze harden, the man looking away while he shook his head.

“A lot has happened.”

Felix shifted, his gaze landing on the house.

“Am… am I still welcome to stay here?” Sylvain asked.

Felix nodded, adjusting his position as he walked forward. “Yes. There is the spare bedroom I can set up for you and-”

“And I won’t be… intruding on your life?” Sylvain asked.

Felix let out a sigh, shaking his head. “No, no you won’t be.”

He nodded, glancing over his shoulder. When Felix followed his gaze, the car was gone.

*~*~*~*~*

“How do you know my dad? And what happened to your other leg? Sometimes you have it and sometimes you don’t.”

Sylvain glanced towards the young girl, frowning at the question. “Well, we were…” He searched for the words, scratching the back of his neck.

In the two weeks Sylvain had been living in the household, he hadn’t really interacted with Sylvie. Today had been one of the rare times where Felix had ventured out, leaving Sylvie under Syvlain’s care with the request that the house remain standing until he returned.

“To answer the other question first, this one is a prosthetic.” He lifted his pant leg to show her. “I lost it during a fight several years back.”

“Like my other dad.”

Sylvain raised an eyebrow, the child glancing at him. “What do you mean by that?”

Sylvie shrugged. “Daddy said I didn’t have a dad, a second dad, because he got lost. He keeps a picture of him on his dresser. Sometimes, when auntie Ingrid is over, she and daddy will tell me stories.”

“And what sort of stories do they tell you?” Sylvain asked.

Sylvie gave him another shrug, gaze darting towards the fridge. “Is it lunchtime yet?”

Sylvain nodded, getting up from where he had been sitting. “Why don’t we see what sort of leftovers there are.”

He watched the girl get up, running into the kitchen. With a frown, he glanced at Felix’s bedroom, scratching the back of his head.

*~*~*~*~*

“Hello?”

Sylvain yawned as he put the phone to his ear, staring up at the ceiling. It was early, not as early as it could have been, but early enough that he was still in bed. He shifted among the blankets, yawning once more.

“Good morning Mr. Gautier. This is Linhardt. I was calling to remind you of your scheduled appointment tomorrow at one pm.”

Sylvain pulled his phone away from his ear, looking at the date. He placed it back, getting up. “Of course. I’ll be there.”

“Will you need a ride?”

Sylvain glanced at the door, shaking his head. “No, I think I can get a ride. Thank you.”

He ended the call, running a hand over his face and ambling out the door. His conversation with Sylvie still rang in his ears, the girl having made no more comment about it. Now, as Sylvain watched Felix gather up several things of Sylvie’s and place them in a bag, his mind wandered.

“You’re welcome to stop staring.”

Sylvain blinked, meeting Felix’s gaze. “Sorry, didn’t realize I was.”

Felix gave him a look, breaking it away as the doorbell rang. Sylvie ran towards it, opening the door and smiling as Ingrid stood there, arms crossed over her chest. Sylvain hovered in the hallway for a moment longer, watching as Felix finished packing the bag.

“Morning Felix!” Ingrid chirped, waving at him. Her gaze skirted towards the hallway, Sylvain taking a step back as she did so. Felix clicked his tongue, shaking his head.

“Good morning Ingrid, thank you for taking Sylvie for a few days.” Felix handed her the bag, Sylvie already on the other side of the door.

Ingrid smiled at him. “You know Glenn and I enjoy talking Sylvie for as long as we need to. Speaking of, Glenn insists that you come to dinner tomorrow.”

“No.”

“Felix-”

Felix pinned Ingrid with a look, raising his eyebrow. “I will see you in the afternoon at the end of the week. We can have dinner then.”

“But not tomorrow?” she pressed.

Felix shook his head, Sylvie’s voice drifting in with a whine. Ingrid let out a sigh, moving to unlock her car door.

“We’ll see you at the end of the week.” Ingrid glanced around the living room, taking a step back as Felix shut the door. Sylvain cleared his throat, Felix turning to look at him.

“So, where is Sylvie’s father?” Sylvain asked, leaning against the wall.

Felix let out a huff, running a hand through his hair. “He’s… you.”

“Me.”

Sylvain watched the emotions cross Felix’s face, his own thoughts jumbled in his head. In the three weeks he had been there, Felix hadn’t said one word-

“But, that would mean…”

“During your Christmas visit, on your last leave.” Felix clarified, crossing his arms over his chest. “I was waiting for you to return home, to surprise you. Only…”

“They told you I was dead.”

Sylvain closed his eyes, letting out a low breath. “For years, I thought I was dead. I spent… six years in hell. When I was… found, I didn’t believe it. So much time had passed, I wasn’t even aware of it.”

“Your… they said you had been blown up.”

Sylvain nodded, eyes darkening as he took a breath. “I had been. Stepped on a land mine and lost my leg. They must have thought that I was dead based on that. When, really…”

“You weren’t.” Felix finished.

Sylvain nodded, running a hand over his face. “To think, I had a family… here… I could have been here the entire time.”

Felix caught Sylvain’s hands in his own, meeting his gaze. “It doesn’t matter, none of that matter.s What matters is that you’re here, now. And that you aren’t going away.”

Sylvain nodded, moving to intwine their fingers. “I don’t leave, not for anything. I… I want to be here, for you. I should have been-”

“I should have told you, too.” Felix let out a sigh, Sylvain shaking his head.

"Had you told me, I would have never-" Sylvain cut himself off, closing his eyes. "I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, would you be willing to take me?" he asked.

Felix looked up at him, eyes shining. "I would do anything for you, Sylvain. Anything. As long as you stay."

"I will," Sylvain promised, moving to embrace Felix in a tight hug, pulling him close and resting his face in Felix's hair. "I'll stay with you, forever."


End file.
